I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a translating interface that translates abbreviated text into words, phrases, and/or sentences. The present invention also translates words, phrases, and/or sentences into abbreviated text. The translator utilizes a dictionary to translate the abbreviated text into words, phrases, and/or sentences. The translator also utilizes a dictionary to translate the words, phrases, and/or sentences into abbreviated text. The user may personalize the dictionary by adding, editing, and/or removing entries, meanings, and dictionaries into a customizable dictionary. The user may also merge multiple dictionaries, entries, and meanings into a single dictionary to create a personalized dictionary.
The user adds, edits, and removes entries and meanings to create a customized dictionary. The user may also merge one or more dictionaries to create a single customized dictionary. The present invention also allows a user to create a customized dictionary by including entries and meanings selected by the user. The user may also save the dictionary for later use and send the dictionary to others so that others can translate the user's message.
Each dictionary customizes the translator for a particular user's needs. The dictionary may be customized to include terms related to a user's education, profession, field of interest, hobbies, or any other areas or topics for which a user may need a dictionary. For example, a law enforcement officer may require translation of drug slang language and/or other slang and acronyms into full words or vice versa. A user can add the slang and acronyms and their meanings to the dictionary for translations. The present invention also enables the user to print the dictionary to allow the user to review the dictionary to see entries and meanings to determine if the user needs to add, delete, and/or edit any entries and/or meanings. The user may also review the dictionary on the screen/display to determine if the user should add, delete, and/or edit any entries and/or meanings.
II. Description of the Known Art
Many students, professionals, and other people currently use computing devices such as lap tops, PDAs, mobile phones, or other computers for creating documents for record keeping, note taking, document production, text messaging, sending messages and/or electronic mail, and for producing other records. Such documents require a user to enter a set number of keystrokes to create the document. Because time is of the essence, users search for methods to reduce the time to create such documents.
Patents and patent applications disclosing information relevant are disclosed below. These patents and patent applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,233 (“the '233 patent”) issued to Baartman, et al. on Dec. 29, 2009 teaches electronic messaging systems, a machine-accessible medium, and methods for text-based electronic communication. In one embodiment taught by the '233 patent, a plurality of databases are provided. The databases taught by the '233 patent each define shorthand terms with one or more longhand terms. A shorthand term taught by the '233 patent is targeted within a text message, and the databases are searched for corresponding longhand terms. The '233 patent teaches that the longhand terms are selected for display according to factors such as user preferences, the identities of participants to the text communication, and the context of the text message. The '233 patent teaches that abbreviations, shorthand, and other jargon sent by one user is thereby interpreted. For example, one of the longhand terms taught by the '233 patent may be substituted in-line with the text message. Alternatively, all matches for the shorthand term found in the databases taught by the '233 patent may be listed in descending order according to relevancy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,891 issued to Dvorak et al. on Jul. 14, 1998 teaches a simplified method of storing and invoking standard phrases during text entry to an electronic computer allows a phrase to be recalled by typing an abbreviated phrase name preceded by a predetermined character string selected from characters of a standard typewriter keyboard, eliminating the interruption typing often incident to finding special function keys. The character string is selected to be unambiguously distinguishable from standard entered text.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,689 issued to Rayson et al. on Jun. 2, 1998 discloses a method and word processing system for automatically replacing one or more characters of text entered by a user in a word processing document with the corresponding plain text, formatted text, or other object. The '689 patent discloses a method for automatically replacing an entry made by a user in a computer display with a replacement. The method begins with the step of enabling the user to indicate the entry that will be automatically replaced and then stores the indication. The user is also enabled to identify the replacement that will automatically replace the entry so that the identification of the replacement will be stored in relationship to the entry. Characters entered by the user are scanned to detect if the user has entered the characters comprising the entry, and to determine if a delimiter character was entered after the characters comprising the entry. The entry is automatically replaced with the replacement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,238 issued to Venema teaches a text processing device for stenographic typing that comprises an alphanumerical keyboard, a translation device, a read/write memory and a display device. Given, frequently occurring words can be entered into the device in abbreviated form. Words of a main set are entered by way of a sequence of two or more key strokes. At least the first two thereof each define a word part to be separately pronounced, for example, in that they constitute the first letters of respective syllables. The full word corresponding to an abbreviated word is formed by the translation device in that at least one missing letter is inserted each time between two successively entered letters. By also providing one or more smaller auxiliary sets of abbreviations, there is an overall saving as regards the number of key strokes required to enter a text.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,406 issued to Ichbiah on Apr. 22, 1997 teaches a system for very fast entry of text into a computer. The system uses a current glossary, which may be custom generated to reflect common phrases and words pertaining to any specific subject matter, as a source for retrieving words and phrases from abbreviations. The '406 patent teaches multiple glossaries each of which is of interest to one of the system users. For instance, in a law firm there may be multiple lawyers who specialize in patent law, family law, and corporate law. Each group of lawyers would have their own glossary, or series of glossaries, which contain words and phrases which are commonly referenced in their specialty.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,915,138 issued to Kraft on Jul. 5, 2005 (“the '138 patent”) teaches a message exchange handling concept. The '138 patent teaches that a user may according to this embodiment be offered an option to save the chat history as a text string so the text string may be used in another application, and e.g. forward it to a third person.
U.S. Publication No. 20090234876 (“the '876 publication”) to Schigel on Sep. 17, 2009 teaches systems and methods to enhance relevancy efficiency of content sharing within a meta-community through content recommendation and recipient recommendation. The systems and methods taught by the '876 publication analyze sharing activities within the meta-community, both of members and of un-registered users through member sharing interactions, to create sharing preference profiles for members and un-registered users.
Certain problems exist with the aforesaid known art. The known art does not allow the flexibility and options provided by the present invention. The present invention provides a translator that decreases the amount of time required to enter text. The present invention improves the speed and increases the user's efficiency of entering text to increase the user's efficiency. The present invention also translates the abbreviated text into full words, phrases, and/or sentences to allow the user to easily read the entered text. The present invention translates the full words, phrases, and/or sentences to the abbreviated text. The abbreviated text allows a user to view the abbreviated message on a smaller display allowing the user to more easily read the full contents of the message. The present invention also allows the user to customize a dictionary according to the user's needs and/or preferences.
Therefore, the present invention is needed to provide a unique translator that enables a user to quickly enter text and provide a customized translation of the text to either abbreviate the message or to provide the message without the abbreviations depending on the user's desired output.